Johnston named NYRA stakes coordinator
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Erik Johnston, who three weeks ago announced his retirement from his position as director of racing and sportsbook at Penn National, was named stakes coordinator at the New York Racing Association, it was announced Friday.
Johnston will replace Andrew Byrnes, who has held the position since 1999 but who announced earlier this year that he was retiring at the end of the Saratoga meet. Johnston will assume his duties as stakes coordinator beginning Oct. 3.
Johnston began his racing career at Penn National in 1983 and then moved on to racing official positions at Maryland Jockey Club racetracks until the early 1990s. In 1994, Johnston joined the team at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas as stakes coordinator and quickly was promoted to director of racing and racing secretary. He assumed other management responsibilities over his nearly 20 years at Sam Houston and also spent three years as the director of racing at Fort Erie Race Course in Canada. Since 2014, Johnston has overseen racing operations at Penn National Race Course and recently added oversight of sports betting to his duties.